Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy admits “new stadium and coronavirus pandemic caused club to lose sight of DNA” in a rare letter to the fans
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Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has admitted that the club 'lost sight of key priorities' in a rare letter to the club's supporters
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has admitted that the club ‘lost sight of key priorities’ in a rare letter to the club’s supporters ahead of tonight’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa.
This rare message comes hours before Spurs’ final home game of the season, where Levy is expected to be met with a fierce reception from supporters following the club’s involvement in the European Super League as well as being perceived for putting business first ahead of football-related matters. Tottenham will welcome supporters back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time this year when a crowd of 10,000 see them take on Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Daniel Levy apologises to the fans for Losing Sight of Tottenham Hotspur’s Identity before the final home game of the season
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has blamed the new stadium and coronavirus pandemic for the club losing sight of “what’s truly in our DNA” and promised a new head coach focused on “attacking and entertaining” football.
Levy and the club’s ENIC owners have also been criticised for charing £60 (85 dollars) for tickets for the Villa match, while some London rivals are charging half that price as all 20 Premier League clubs enjoy one home match with doors reopened this week. Tottenham’s state-of-the-art stadium, opened in 2019, came at a cost of £1.2 billion. The coronavirus pandemic has not just seen their revenues hit from matchday income, but also plans to stage NFL games, concerts and other sporting events at the 62,000 capacity ground.
Levy has a number of big decisions to make come the end of the season with Spurs looking for a new manager to replace Jose Mourinho, while star striker Harry Kane has reportedly made clear his desire to leave this summer, which has mount increased pressure on him. Levy had reportedly made clear earlier that he has no intentions of selling Spurs’ leading talisman kane this summer.
In the end-of-season letter to Spurs fans, Levy said the current campaign has not met expectations, but promised to be “ambitious” going forward.
“This season, for many reasons, we have not met our raised expectations on the pitch,’ Levy wrote. “Since we lost the Champions League Final in June 2019, we have invested in excess of £250m in new players. Everyone had high hopes with the squad we had assembled. Unfortunately, despite sitting top of the Premier League in December, we have not been able to sustain this position.”
“We reached the Carabao Cup Final, however we had a disappointing exit from the Europa League and now find ourselves fighting to qualify for Europe, having competed in European competition for 14 of the last 15 seasons.
“We are absolutely clear that central to our ambitions is a successful football team – it is what we all crave. We have come close over the last seven seasons and everyone’s focus is on a return to regular Champions League participation and competing for honours.”
On the search for a new head coach, Levy added: “We are acutely aware of the need to select someone whose values reflect those of our great club and return to playing football with the style for which we are known – free-flowing, attacking and entertaining – whilst continuing to embrace our desire to see young players flourish from our Academy alongside experienced talent.”
Levy has also announced the establishment of a Club Advisory Panel, to provide “wide, authentic representation and ensure our fans are at the heart of club decisions.”
“I have said it many times and I will say it again – everything we do is in the long-term interests of the club,” Levy said. “I have always been and will continue to be ambitious for our club and its fans.
“As a club we have been so focused on delivering the stadium and dealing with the impact of the pandemic, that I feel we lost sight of some key priorities and what’s truly in our DNA.
“Our work in the community and with the NHS is an example of when we get it right, but we don’t get everything right. It has never been because we don’t care about or respect you, our fans – nothing could be further from the truth.” said Levy in his letter.
Chelsea’s victory over Leicester on Tuesday ended Tottenham’s final hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. However, they can guarantee a sixth-placed finish and Europa League football if they take maximum points from their final two matches.
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Sayantan Dutta
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